When Emerging Markets Shape the Developed World

“America is back,” said the President of all the Americans, “Anyone who tells you America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”

Well, Dear Reader, we’re here to tell you: America is in decline.

We can give it to you straight because we’re not running for public office. And if we were elected, we would immediately demand a recount.

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The Problem with Contemporary Education

Several of the ‘Capitalism in Crisis’ thinkers — even those who should have known better — thought the government needed to invest more money in education.

Kenneth Rogoff, for example, concludes that “improved education alone will not resolve the flaws inherent in today’s capitalism, but it [is an] essential first step down any path to a solution.”

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How to Prolong an Inevitable Market Correction

Last week came and went. As near as we could tell, nothing was settled. The trends in motion stayed in motion… No end in sight.

On Friday, Americans were still convinced that they were never going broke. The Europeans were still squabbling about how they were going to keep from going broke And the Japanese were telling each other that going broke wouldn’t be so bad.

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A Crisis in Worthwhile Opinions of Capitalism

The Financial Times has continued its series on ‘Capitalism in Crisis’ much longer than we expected. Longer than seems decent, actually. The crisis will be over before the series ends.

Each of the Davos-list celebrities to write on the subject basically ‘talks his own book.’ The politicians tell us that they can fix what is wrong with capitalism. The regulators want more regulations; do-gooders urge us to rely more on good works. The economists have their economic solutions. The entrepreneurs put their faith in can-do hustlers.

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Buying Gold in Uncertain Times

Dow down slightly yesterday. Oil falling further below $100. And gold still going up.

What is most interesting is the movement in the price of gold. It seems to be heading up again — almost no matter what else is happening.

So, let’s look at what might be going on…

If investors sensed a recovery…they would expect banks to lend more freely…people to shop more freely…and prices to rise.

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Thomas Friedman and the End of “Average”

We got a chuckle out of Thomas Friedman. Maybe he would be good as a brick mason. Or maybe a baker. Shame he got caught up in journalism. He has no talent for it.

In a recent column he tells us that “Average is over.” Typically, it makes no sense. What Friedman seems to mean is that an average person can’t expect to do very well in today’s America. He says average guys are being replaced by robots and Chinese people.

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Investment Alternatives in a No-Growth Market

Baltimore…best bet for investors?

We drove back into town on Sunday night. People moped around in front of bars. Groups walked uptown from the stadium, their shoulders down, the chins dragging. The city was dark…and unhappy.

There was no joy in Baltimore on Sunday night. Baltimore is a sports town. The Ravens — the only team we know named after a poem — had lost. They would not be going to the Super Bowl.

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Zombiefied Drug Trade

We had lunch with an old friend last week. We hadn’t seen him since our school days in the ’60s. He told us the following story.

“It’s amazing. I’ve lived there all my life. But I’m a little different, I guess. My brothers are doctors and lawyers. I did them a favor by being the black sheep of the family. So they didn’t have to be.

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Creating More Debt to Solve the Crisis

Readers who expect an early end to this Great Correction are going to be disappointed. There is no sign of it reaching its conclusion anytime soon. Just the contrary…there’s no end in sight.

The Great Correction seems to be going along just as you’d expect. Or, just as we’d expect.

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